Rachel Weisz thinks it’s ok to Drink While Pregnant

While Rachel Weisz was promoting her latest movie The Fountain she made a comment that she may wish she could take back. The 35-year-old, who recently gave birth to her first child, said she thought it was "fine" for expectant mothers to have a glass of wine after the first three months.

Her comments, were immediately criticised by medical experts who described them as “ill-informed” and “dangerous”.

The Government is currently reviewing guidelines on drinking alcohol when pregnant after experts warned that even very small amounts could result in Fetal Alcohol Syndrome which can lead to learning difficulties, poor co-ordination and attention deficit disorder.

Current UK guidelines say pregnant women can drink one or two units, the equivalent to one or two small glasses of wine or single measures of spirit, once or twice a week.

In the US and Canada complete abstinence from drinking is advised for expectant mothers.

Last night foetal alcohol syndrome specialist Dr Raja Mukherjee, of St George’s Hospital Medical School in London, said: “If Rachel Weisz has drunk during her pregnancy and the baby is fine then that’s just pure luck. The problem is that you don’t know who is at risk and who is not…

Miss Weisz, who won an Oscar last year for her role in The Constant Gardener made her comments in an interview in New York to publicise the film, in which she appears with actor Hugh Jackman.

Asked whether she thought a glass of wine was fine she replied: “Personally I do. They say not in the first three months though, but I think that after that it’s fine. I mean in Europe they drink it”.